Vaginal support.



. D. G. CAREY.

VAGINAL SUPPORT;

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1916.

Patented June 19, 1917 g1 VENTOIIEE.

.HTTORNEY.

DANIEL G. CAREY, ELMIRA, NEW

VAGINAL surron'r.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented June 19; 1917-.

Application filed January 14;, 1916. Serial No. 72,126.

To (166 ZC/U/llt it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. CAREY, a citizen oi? the United States,'and resident of Elmira, in the county of Chemung in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in VaginalSupports, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a-full, clear and exact description. I I

This invention relates to certain improvements in uterus supports commonly known as pessaries for preventing prolapse of the uterus.

The main object is to reduce to a minimum the liability of excessive irritation of the organs to which this class of instruments is applied, and at the same time to render such devices self retaining without inconvenience to the user or liability of displacement when in use. v

Another object is to provide the retaining ring or bulb with a separable core and stem capable of being easily and quickly taken a art for cleansing and sterilizing when necessary without in any way affecting the integrity or form of the flexible ring.

Other oby'ectsv and uses .will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a top plan of a pessaryembodying the various features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same device,

Fig. 4. is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a divided core.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspecti e views cores shown in Figs. 3 and 42.

The pessary shown in Figs. 1, and comprises a hollow flexible ring --land a core 2 having a separable stem -3-, the ring -1-- being circular in plan and also in cross section. and is nei'crably made of soft rubber inflated with air to an extent sufficient to retain its circular form without losing its pliability.

The core -2-.- preferably consists of a rigid tubular sleeve of light non-'corrodible material such as aluminium, hard ruhi'ier or its equivalent of less length than the axial depth of the ring --1- and is provided with enlarged end heads -4- and -5--- and a reduced connecting neck --6 for receiving and frictionally retaining the ring thereon of the For this purpose the external 'diameter 7 of the neck -6 is slightly greater than the normal inner diameter of the central openmg in the ring and its sides are concaved lengthwise to conform approximately to the adjacentconvex Walls of said ring While the diameters of the end heads --land -5 are somewhat greater than the central opening in the ring and fit snugly against the adjacent walls thereof to hold the core and ring against relative eudwise displacement H under ordinary use 111 removing or replacing the device from or intothe vagina but allowing said parts to be separated when necessary for cleansing or sterilizing by applying sutiicient force to the ring to spring it over one or the other of the heads.

The outer head 5 is preferably of slightly greater diameter than the inner head to afford greater resistance to the out- Ward displacement of the ring relatively to the core when placing the pessary in operative position while the relatively smaller inner head, allows the pneumatic ring lto be eXpanded-thereover and upon the reduced neck of the core but is of sutliciently larger diameter than that of the opening through the ring to hold said ring against accidental displacement from the core when removing the pessary from the vagina by the stem.

This stem is made of rigid non-corrodible material, such as aluminium or its equivalent, of suitlcicnt length to enter the mouth of the vagina when the pessary is adjusted for use for balancing and holding the ring 1' in its most effective posit-ion, said stem having a reduced threaded end 7- screwed into a central threaded opening -8- in the core 2- to permit it. to be removed if necessary for cleansing. oil-sterilizing the various parts or for anyiothcr purpose.

' The opposite end of the stem is enlarged torming a head -9- ior additiomilly balancing and sup ior'ting the ring in the va gins, and is provided with branch passages -l() leading from-its periphery to a main central passage --ll-- which extends entirely through the stem trom end to end so as to communicate with the interior of the uterus to facilitate cxcretions therefrom.

The ring 1- and its core -2 constitote the head of the pcssary and by making larger smooth bore through of the ring leaves the central portions of opposite sides of the head more or less concave which enables the pessary to fit more closely drawal or expulsion of the pessary by reason of the fact thatthe lower face of the head is more abrupt and avoids the outward wedging action. incidental to the use of pessaries with inverted conical heads.

In Figs. 4 and (3 is shown a slightly moditied form of core 2' divided diametrically through the reduced portion or neck to form opposite clamping sections -l1'- and 12, the upper section 11- being provided with a threaded aperture for receiving the threaded end of the stem while the lower section is provided with a slightly which the threaded end of the stem may pass freely, thus permitting the two sections to be applied to opposite faces of the ring 1 without expanding the latter whereupon said sections may be drawn together by the screw-stern to firmly clamp the ring to the core.

The threaded portion of the stem 3 is rather long which permits the device to be extended in length when placing it in operative position, after which the stem may be screwed up as far as possible to avoid external projection and consequent incouvenience to the user, particularly in a sitting posture.

, \Vhat I claim is:

1. A vaginal support comprising a sealed pneumatic ring, a core fitted in the center of the ring and curved coincident thereto, the transverse axis of the core being disposed below the transverse axis of the ring with the upper and lower edges thereof terminating within the upper and lower edges of the ring, and a balancing stem projecting axially from the center of the core.

A vaginal support comprising a sealed hollow flexible ring inflated with air, a core fitted centrally in said ring and curved coincident thereto, the transverse axis of the core being disposed below the transverse axis of the ring with the upper and lower edges thereof terminating within the upper and I lower edges of the ring, and a hollow balancing stem projecting axially from the center of the core.

A vaginal support comprising a flexible ring, a rigid core fitted centrally in the ring and curved coincident thereto, the transverse axis of the core being disposed below the transverse axis of the ring with the upper and lower edges thereof terminating within the upper and lower edges of the ring, and a rigid steni secured to and projecting axially from the center of the core.

4. A vaginal support comprising a flexible ring, a rigid core titted centrally in the ring and curved coincident thereto, the transverseaxis of the core being disposed below the transverse axis of the ring with the upper and lower edges thereof terminating within the upper and lower edges of the ring, and a rigid stem having screw connection with the core and projecting axially therefrom.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of Septen'iber 191i. DANIEL G. lAREY.

\Vitnesses V. F. Pmnson',

.lnwrx K. Roman. 

